Papal Arts of Peace and Civilization

The twentieth century saw a transformation in the Catholic Church’s approach to war and peace, as the papacy sought to adopt and propose alternatives to traditional Just War doctrine by developing contemporary policies to peacefully resolve both the symptoms and root causes of war. This book explores the emergence of a new ethical framework, built upon three distinct moral doctrines, coined here as AMP: War Avoidance, for when war is imminent; War Mitigation, for when war is unavoidable; and Preventive Pacification, during periods of relative stability. This book examines the shaping of the AMP paradigm from Leo XIII to John Paul II, analyzing its theological, philosophical, and legal underpinnings. While AMP co-exists alongside Just War doctrine, the latter provides a framework for judging the morality of war, the former addresses the preemption, mitigation, and prevention of conflict. The book argues that AMP gradually became the primary framework for the Holy See’s foreign policy with the potential to further become a crucial ethical guide for the twenty-first century’s pursuit of more just and peaceful international relations.

Maxim Baz is an Italo-Lebanese priest, researcher, and professor. He holds doctorates in Philosophy from the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and Moral Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, including the first French translation of Averroes’s 12th-century Book of Jihad as part of his work. His manuscript, The Papal Arts of Peace and Civilization (De Gruyter, 2025), introduces the “War Avoidance, War Mitigation, and Preventive Pacification” papal paradigm (Leo XIII–John Paul II), examining its theological, philosophical, and legal underpinnings. His research focuses on the philosophical and theological aspects of war and peace, particularly within Catholic and Islamic thought. He currently serves as Senior Advisor and Chaplain to the Governor General of the Pontifical Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, providing practical and strategic support. His previous roles included Secretary to two Cardinal Grand Masters and Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Grand Magisterium, managing investitures worldwide. His international engagements indirectly promote the cause of peace in the Holy Land. He is fluent in Italian, English, French, and Arabic.